Brazilian design duo Campana Brothers have created a collection of furniture consisting of an armchair and three cabinets made almost entirely from cork. A merge of art and design that explores creativity and sustainable materials!

Named Sobreiro Collection, the modern art pieces were created to show off the potential of cork as a contemporary design material – that can be versatile, attractive and sustainable.

Known for their use of natural and raw materials, this is the first time the Campana Brothers have worked with cork. In the past, they have used leather, palm fronds, and even fish skin to create unusual effects in their unique design pieces.

“We’ve always been fascinated by cork, not only because it is an ecological material but because of its lightness,” explained Humberto Campana.

The texture, variety of applications and insulation properties enrich the possibilities of using this material, in order to express new concepts and gestures. It’s like marble that can be sculpted.”

The Sombrero art furniture Collection was revealed at the Consulate of Portugal in São Paulo, Brazil during the annual Experimenta Portugal arts and culture festival. The festival celebrates the cultural connections between Brazil and Portugal.

Research for the cork furniture was conducted in Portugal in collaboration with the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) and a major Portuguese cork supplier, Amorim. Humberto Campana spent time in Amorim’s laboratory experimenting with the materials. Cork is one of Portugal’s main export materials.

The sustainability of the material was also very appealing to the Campana Brothers. Cork is one of the most sustainable materials to harvest and is completely recyclable.

One of the three modern cabinets is made from a combination of the cork agglomerate and natural clay – a Campana Brothers‘ experiment into hybridity of the materials for this furniture design.